Hi Rollyczar,

Yes,you're onto something, but one problem is that, once a drinker/smoker/gambler/drug-user goes through his own money (often within a day or two), he bludges off, or stands over, other people, usually more defenceless people such his grandmother or auntie or some other relation, to strip them of their money as well. 'Community' or 'family' life has a predatory aspect to it. I think the anthropological term for it is 'demand sharing'. Yeah, they got that right.

I wouldn't be surprised if many such vulnerable people are not only happy with the Welfare Card system, but are also happy for some local store-keeper to hold onto their Card (perhaps without giving over their PIN as well) to ensure that nobody can bully them into giving over their 20 % cash component. Alternatively, that they spend it pretty quickly on essentials for their grandkids, like food.

Cheers,

Joe

//Hi Rollyczar//

How is life in Nigeria? Did you guys ever end up sorting out that business with the prince trapped in exile?

Hi Everybody,
Just a little aside to this card issue.
I think it is a great idea but always remember that there plenty of
'wise guys' out there who will find a hole inn the fence.
At the moment, whilst the rates of abuse are down in the areas being
serviced by the card there is another growing problem which the authorities,
the police and the government have no control over.
Profiteering!
Example:
I have a card that allows me to spend at the grocery store in my community.
I am approached by a smart talking brother who suggests I buy from a list he
gives me and when I come out he will give me half the face value of the purchases in cash.
What do I do?
Well I would normally have blown most of the cash before on grog and
gambling anyway so I accept the offer and my mentor supplies me with grog from his
stash at inflated prices after he has returned the goods to the store for
eighty percent of their purchase value.
Nice little racket and nothing illegal about it.
A nice little cash earner for the store and the mentor and the client gets their grog supply.

G’day all

I do a sojourn to Tassie every Anzac Day and spend the day with family to remember those of the family that served and as a consequence have not responded.

“Hasbeen” I see you are still on the methane, some things never change. Please define communism and how it relates to a federally funded, community controlled Job Guarantee?

The majority of the other comments, although many are legitimate, relate to exceptions rather than the norm. I put it to you that irrespective of the system there will always be those that will take advantage of the system. The only cure for this condition is abstinence or abortion which will over time solve the issue, by eliminating the human race.

Seriously, without assigning labels or highlighting the exceptions why would an autonomous “Job Guarantee” (JG) as defined in my previous post not work?

No one is forced to do anything; all they have to do is spend the time. Key is that any “Basic Income” (BI) should rise and fall with national productivity and entitlement is only achieved by spending time in a JG enterprise. In the event that participants are productive and as a consequence GDP and therefore national wealth increases they are rewarded. If they do nothing and GDP reduces they are penalised, choices and actions should have consequences.

The discussion then comes down to what is a reasonable time and what is a reasonable reward for that time?

If an individual participating in a JG secures additional work and payment over and above the income received in a JG there would be no penalty. The joint income would be subject to the contemporary tax system like anyone else in the workforce. At some point an individual may make the decision that they would get greater income for the time spent in the JG and leave, foregoing the BI in the process.

The other reality is that the contemporary neoliberal market system does not supply sufficient jobs to employ the unemployed. Currently there is only one job for every unemployed.